L/slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/03/supreme-court-analysis-sonia-sotomayor-trump-free-press.html

Sonia Sotomayor Just Issued a Stirring Defense of One of Trump’s Biggest Targets 2026/03/26 05:40

• URL: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/03/supreme-court-analysis-sonia-sotomayor-trump-free-press.html
• Posted: March 26, 2026 5:40 AM (date: 2026/03/26)
• Topics: US/Supreme Court police police/immunity accountability Sonia Sotomayor freedom of the press US/Constitution US/TX bad decision
• Summary: «This week, the Supreme Court effectively shielded the nation’s law enforcement from consequences when it treats journalism as a crime. In rejecting an appeal in Villarreal v. Alaniz, the court has allowed local officials in Texas to remain immune from prosecution for arresting a journalist who published information she received from a government official. This case presented a strikingly simple question: Does it violate a journalist’s First Amendment rights if they are arrested for requesting and publishing information that a government employee willingly hands over? A lower court split sharply over the answer, but this Supreme Court, given the opportunity to weigh in to help settle the law and protect the freedom of the press all over the country, decided that the best answer was no answer at all, refusing to take up the case. In response, a single justice, Sonia Sotomayor, wrote a scathing critique of the court’s decision...»

• source: Slate
• author: Shirin Ali